Fire-escape



(No Model.)

J. ROBBINS.

i PIRE ESCAPE. No, 598,294. Patented Peb. 1,1898.

F- l G 2 WTNESSES Y ii Narren STATESv ATENT Brien.

JAMES ROBB'INS, OF PORTLAND, OREGON.

FIRE-ESCAPE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of" Letters Patent No. 598,294, dated February 1, 1898. Appuman ne@ me 10,1895. sesamo. eszeezf (No model.)

To tZZ whom/ it ntay concern:

Be it known that I, JAMES ROBBINS, a citi,- zen of the United States, residing at Portland7 in the 'county of Multnomah and State of Oregon, have invented a new and useful Fire- Escape, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact specification.

My invention relates to that type of fireescapes wherein is employed a cylinder, a plunger movable thereon, a carriage, anda cable connecting the carriage with the plunger. f

My object is to provide a tire-escape of the class described which will be of improved and simple construction and adapted to operate in a highly superior manner to permit the occupants of the building to escape with speed and with safety, and one which will be automatic in its nature, so that the carriage will return to the window after it has delivered Vits' load. i

Having the foregoing and other objects in view, the invention consists of a fire-escape of improved construction, as will appear more fully from the following description, and the novel features of which will be recited in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view showing my nre-escape applied to a building; Fig. 2, an enlarged Vertical section of the upper portion of the tube or cylinder and the cap; Fig. 3, a similar view as Fig. 2, but showin g the lower portion of the tube; Fig. 4, a vertical section through the carriage, and Fig. 5 an enlarged view of the rotatable cap.

The numeral l designates a portion of a building or house. I employ an air tank or cylinder 2, whichruns from t-he ground-line, i

or near thereto, up to the uppermost window, or to the point from where the occupants of the building are intended to escape inthe event of a fire. This tank is held in vertical position by straps or clips 8, located at proper intervals apart. The bottom end of the tank is closed, and so also the upper end is closed by a semispherical head 4, of somewhat less diameter than the tank. Said head is provided With a single centrally-disposed opening 5.

The numeral 6 designates a cap which fits over the head and has its lower edge resting on the shoulder tlf-at the upper end of the tank or cylinder. This cap is provided with a semisphericalV pocket 7, that snugly yet easily receives said head. The upper end of the cap is reduced at 8, and 9 represents aV bracket secured to the building and invwhich said reduced portion is journaled, so that the cap can freely turn. The cap has an velongated vertically-extending opening 9.

The'numeral 10 designates an arm which is secured to the cap and comprises portions which lie 'on opposite sides of the said open ing 9', said arm being composedof separated members which are joined together, as will be apparent from an inspection of the draw ings.

The numeral 11 designates a pulley which is j ournaled between the members of the arm 10 and has about one-half of its surface received in the said opening 9. There is ann other pulley 12 journaled between the mem bers of the arm.

The numeral 13 designates a winding-drum which is journaled betweenthe portions of the arm at the outer or free end thereof and has a crank-handle 14. ratchet-Wheel 15, and 16 designates a springpressed pawl. adapted to engage on the said Wheel.

The numeral 17 designates acord which is connected to the pawl and runs through eyes 18,` connected to the buildingkadjacent the Windows thereof, so that the drum can be released from any story of the building. There is a brace 18', which connects the arm to the upper 'portion of the cap.V Inside of the cylinder or. tank 2 is a plunger or piston 19,.

which snugly lits said tube, the same being weighted for a purpose which will appear hereinafter. It is provided with a ball-valve 20, operating in an opening 21, that runs through the plunger from end to end, a coniining device 22 being employed to prevent the valve from dropping too far.

The numeral 23v designates a rope orcable connected to the weighted plunger andwhich runs up in the cylinder through the opening in the head, up into the cap, and out through the opening in the side thereof and over the two pulleys 11 and 12. g

The numeral 2d designates the carriage, and the rope 23 has its end connected to said This drum Vcarries a IOO ' lower end a weight 33.

carriage. This carriage comprises an upright portion 25 and a lower passenger-platform 26. The upright portion has an opening 27 running therethrough from top to bottom. Openings are'made in the sides of the said portion, and there are brake-springs 28 and 29, which have one end secured and the other end free. There are cam-levers 30 and 3l, which are pivoted to the upright portion of the carriage and bear against thesprings.

The numeral 32 designates a brake-rope which is secured to and vadapted to wind on the drum 13, and the same carries at its This brake-rope runs through an opening in the carriage, and the brake-springs are adapted to coact therewith when the level-sare operated.

It will be observed that the tank is located at the sides of the windows, so that the arm and cap can be swung to bring the carriage near the window or, on the other hand, swung away when not wanted. The weight of the plunger is somewhat greater than the carriage, so that said plunger will automatically return the carriage to its normal elevated position when the carriage is empty. The brake-rope is normally wound on the drum, and the weight connected to said rope is adapted to immediately unwind the rope when the drum is released.

The operation is as follows: The arm is first swung around and the rope 17 pulled, thereby releasing the brake-rope, which unwinds. riage, whereupon the same begins to descend, lifting the plunger in the cylinder or tank. The valve in said plungerbeing closed, as the plunger rises the air above it in the tank becomes more and more compressed, so that the descent of the carriage is being continually checked, and hence the carriage cannot drop and injure the occupants. Should the descent of the carriage be too rapid, however -as if, for instance, the weight thereon was too great or the valve in the plunger did not work properly--the brakes can be applied to the brake-rope and the descent of the carriage checked to any desired degree. After the passengers have left the carriage, the plunger being heavier than the carriage, said plunger will drop, the valve opening meanlwhile, and the carriage will be lifted. The

rope 17 can be operated from any window, so that the brake-rope can be released from any position. If desirable, a depending rope could be connected to the carriage, so that the same could be pulled down to any story. t

Vhile I have described my device asa iireescape, yet it is also'applicable to other purposes, and especially in mines or shafts where it is desirable to lower objects with speed and safety.

There are many slight changes which could The passengers now get into the carbe lresorted to in constructing the invention without departing from any of the advantages thereof, and hence it is to be understood that I do not limit myself to the precise construcmovable carriage, a rope or cable connecting said carriage with said piston, a freely-depending brake-rope independent of and disconnected from the parts aforesaid, and brakes carried by said carriage which are adapted to be manipulated to cause thesame to engage with the brake-rope during the descent of the carriage but are normally out of engagement with said rope.

2. In a fire-escape, the combination with an upright air tube or cylinder, of a carriage, a plunger or piston movable in said cylinder, a cable or rope connecting the plunger to the carriage, a drum, means forlocking the same, a brake rope or cable connected to and adapted to wind on the drum, a weight at the free end of said brake-rope, and a brake carried by the carriage adapted to engage with the rope.y

3. In a fire-escape, the combination with a carriage and means for raising the same, of a drum, a brake-rope adapted to wind thereon, a weight, connected to the free end of the brake-rope, brake mechanism carried by the carriage adapted to engage with the rope, locking mechanism for the drum, and mechanism leading from story to story of the building whereby the locking mechanism for the drum can be released.

4. In a fire-escape the combination with a 'carriage,of means for raising the same,a winding-drum, a brake-rope adapted to wind on vsaid drum, brake mechanism carried by the carriage adapted to engage wit-h the brakerope, pawl-and-ratchet mechanism for said drum, and a rope or cable connected to the pawl and leading from story to story of the building so that the drum can be released.

5. In a lire-escape, the combination with a stationary air cylinder or tube, of a cap journaled to the top thereof and adapted to freely turn and having a horizontally-extendin g arm adapted to freely swing, a plunger movable in the tube, a depending vertically-movable carriage, a pulley journaled to the arm, and a 'cable connected to the carriage and the plunger and running over the pulley.

JAMES ROBBINS.

Witnesses:

ROBERT OATLIN, CHRIs MArHIsoN.

IOO

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